This invention relates to apparatus for cutting sheet material such as cloth in endwise sections, and more particularly to a new and improved end cutter having automatic operation.
In cutting special orders and short lays of sheet material such as cloth, the sheet material is drawn from a supply such as a roll along a cutting table, the desired length is cut, the next section is drawn along the table and cut, and this procedure is repeated until the required number of pieces of material have been cut to the same measurement and stacked up. The cutting machine is guided in a direction across the table by a track member which is in the form of an elongated bar having a guide slot therealong. As each piece is cut, in order to accommodate stacking of the pieces, it is necessary to lift the track member and then return it into contact with the corresponding edge of the stack.
Heretofore such cutting apparatus was operated manually. The cutting machine was moved along the track by use of an extended handle, and the track was raised and lowered by operation of a balanced lifting mechanism for augmenting manually applied force. It would be highly desirable to provide cutting apparatus of the foregoing type characterized by automatic operation. In particular, movement of the cutting machine along the track would be automatic and self-powered or driven and motorized raising and lowering of the track would be automatic and not in response to application of manual force. Such automatic apparatus desirable would also have provision for control of such operational parameters as speed and length of travel of the cutting machine along the track and maximum height to which the track is raised.